


starlight, starbright, thank you for granting my wish tonight

by shell-heads (chocopies)



Series: Lucky Stars [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Awkward Steve Rogers, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Teacher Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22439350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocopies/pseuds/shell-heads
Summary: “You….are making it very hard to be good at this,” Steve mumbles, peeking over the tips of his fingers and doing what on any other person would be called a pout.“Be good at what?” Tony asks with a low laugh, still taken in by the sight of him.“Dating,” Steve replies forcefully, his eyes rolling upwards in a plea for strength as he lowers his hands to drink some water and relieve the heat in his face. “I’m not-you’re so-ugh. Could you go easy on me? I’m still trying to get used to all of you.”“All of me?” Tony laughs louder. “What is that supposed to mean?”It's Friday, and that means Peter gets to sleep over Uncle Rhodey's house, and-more importantly-Daddy has a playdate with Mr. Rogers! Tony likes to think it's going pretty well, but he's also two seconds away from full-on making out with Steve in public, so take that as you will.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Lucky Stars [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614631
Comments: 17
Kudos: 218





	starlight, starbright, thank you for granting my wish tonight

**Author's Note:**

> part 2 of lucky stars, in which steve is an awkward mess and tony, understandably, falls all the more in love with him for it. there are also kisses and a second date!

“ _Daaaaaaddddy_ , it’s Friday,” a distant voice yells happily through the haze of his fading dreams, a small hurricane throwing itself onto his chest and bouncing up and down. “Time to wake up, it’s Friday!”

Groaning, Tony grabs at his son in a quick blur of arms, rolling over with haste to stick Peter underneath him, his soft hairs tickling Tony’s nose and causing it to crinkle automatically. 

“Now, what kind of way is that to start a day,” Tony sing-songs lowly, pretending to chomp on Peter’s ear and smiling as it earns him a giggle and even more wriggling. “You know what, I don’t feel like getting out of bed today. I think we should cancel Friday, Petey-no more Fridays ever, how do you feel about that?” 

“No,” Peter shrieks through a laugh, shoving futilely at his father’s arms to escape their iron clasp and gasping for breath as Tony squeezes him tighter for it. “You can’t, Daddy, Fridays are _important_. I can’t go on weekends for sleepovers without Fridays.”

“Are you sure, buddy? I’m feeling pretty tired,” Tony yawns exaggeratedly, feigning sleep at smiling as Peter smacks his bare shoulders to wake him. 

“No, Daddy, I have to sleep over Uncle Rhodey’s,” Peter insists, “I haven’t slept at Uncle Rhodey’s for like a _bajillion_ years, I can’t miss it!”

“What if you have a sleepover with me instead?” Tony hums, snuggling into the bed further and snickering at Peter’s spluttered, “I sleep over with you every day, Daddy, don’t be selfish!” 

“Aaah, but I love you _so_ much,” Tony teases, getting up on his elbows to give Peter some more room and bopping his nose. “I just wanna love you all the time, pumpkin.”

“Well, you can still love me even when I’m at Uncle Rhodey’s, right?” Peter answers matter-of-factly, causing Tony to choke on a laugh. “I love you even when I’m at school and Harry’s house and Gramma Bertie’s, and I love you mostest in the entire world!” 

“Is that so?” Tony says with a soft beam, his eyes crinkling at the corners and his chest a molten gold so warm it spreads to the tips of his fingers. “I guess I can do the same, then.”

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it, Daddy,” Peter tells him earnestly, bright and honest and unwavering in his belief, “you’re the smartest person ever. That’s what you always tell me.”

Throat thick and suspiciously tight, Tony presses a lingering kiss to his son’s temple and tries his best not crush him in a breathless hug. Five years, and still the sheer love and trust his son shares with him makes his breath catch.

“I don’t know about that, kiddo, but I sure can try to be for you,” Tony smiles, closing his eyes and tilting his chin upwards. “Come on, sugar, let me get some loving too.”

Peter smacks an obedient kiss to Tony’s nose and giggles happily when Tony scrunches up his face and shakes his head. 

“No, one more,” Tony orders, answered at once as Peter falls into their familiar routine and plasters kiss after kiss on his father’s face upon request. “Hmm...one more. My cheek too. Another… _another…_ one more….one last one for good luck?” 

“Me too now,” Peter says eagerly, leaning forward and continuing to giggle helplessly as Tony peppers his own kisses all over Peter, his hands slipping out from around his son to tickle his sides and make those giggles evolve into full-fledged laughter. 

“Alright, Mr. Parker,” Tony asks with a very serious face as Peter squirms out his reach and gasps for breath, “I believe you have somewhere to be soon. How about we get some grub in our big ol’ tummies and head out to school?”

“Sounds like a good plan, Mr. Parker’s Dad,” Peter answers with a serious nod, unable to help breaking out into a wide smile and ruining their charade. 

“Come on, slowpoke,” Tony says with a playful smack to Peter’s knees, arms coming over his head to stretch out their overnight kinks with a satisfying series of pops.

“Daddy,” Peter says solemnly, his face twitching as he tries his best to be solemn despite the obvious twinkle in his eyes when Tony turns around in question. “I think today’s plan could also do with a piggyback ride to the kitchen.”

Laughing brightly at the instant fond fireworks that bursts into his gut, Tony sweeps his son into his arms and swings him around onto his back for just that. 

Thirty minutes later they’re at school, Peter unbuckling himself in the middle of the drop-off line and Tony’s goodbye at the tip of his tongue when suddenly Peter gasps and claps his hands over his mouth. 

“I almost forgot,” Peter exclaims, quickly climbing over the car console to whisper in Tony’s ear despite how many times he’s been told not to, “have fun at your playdate today, Daddy-love you, bye!”

And with a mad scramble, he’s out and running over the steps to the front doors like a mini Usain Bolt while Tony stares in shock, his shoulders shaking until he bursts into raucous laughter, the memory of telling Peter he was having a playdate during the sleepover having completely slipped his mind. 

Still chuckling, Tony settles his earpiece in and has JARVIS make sure all his plans are still in place for tonight before shooting off a quick text to Pepper, who’d asked him if he was excited about his dinner date. Shifting into drive, Tony grins. 

He damn well is and they both know it. 

“Sir,” JARVIS speaks up, interrupting his train of thought, “Mr. Rogers has begun typing.”

“Oh?” Intrigued, Tony slides his phone out of his pocket to watch, finding himself stupidly eager to see what Steve had to say to him. Waiting patiently for two minutes, Tony’s eyebrows rise when the bubble falls away with nothing left for him to read, confused and curious. 

Five seconds later, the bubble pops up again. For half an hour, Tony observes as the bubble falls and rises over and over again from the safety of his driveway, torn between assuming Steve’s trying to cancel their date and calling him to end his misery. 

He goes for the second option. 

“Good morning,” Tony greets smoothly as the line clicks through barely one ring in. 

“G-g-good morning,” Steve stammers, his voice bringing a smile to Tony’s face automatically that probably looks a lot more stupid than it feels, which is to say- _very_. “Um, hi. Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Tony repeats, trying not to chuckle at the thrumming panic he can hear on the other end of the phone and feeling himself melt into the seat. “You wanted to talk?”

“I did?” Steve asks confusedly, a quiet little gasp of despair catching on the receiver as Steve mumbles to himself. “Oh, _God_ , you saw me? It? Me doing the-thing? When I was-?”

“Yeah, I saw you typing,” Tony affirms with a quick reprimanding look at himself through the mirror, a warning not to tease Steve before he stuffs him rotten with delicious food and convinces him how utterly charming Tony can be. 

“Right, of course, because _of course_ ,” Steve mutters nonsensically, Tony attempting to straighten out the amused grin on his face and failing completely. “Well, that’s, um. I was-I wanted to say-I mean, I was trying to say, er, that I, um, I’m looking forward to...tonight.”

“My God,” Tony hears himself say, unable to crush the swell of pink-blue waters rising within him, his hands twitching with the need to _move_ , see Steve _right now_ and just kiss him silly. It really should be illegal for a man to be this awfully smart and caring and adorable. “You’re a terrible person, Steve Rogers.”

“What? Why? Was that too much? I’m, oh gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-to make things weird or-or forward, that’s not what I was-”

“You’re a terrible person,” Tony continues, ignoring his terrified rambling to look at the sky and remind himself he’s a grown man with impeccable self control, “because you went and said something that makes me want to move our dinner date up much, much earlier.”

“...Oh,” comes Steve’s warbling reply, Tony’s mind caught on the idea of the pink flush that’s no doubt creeping over his cheeks right now in the quiet of his classroom. 

“Alas, we both have work,” Tony sighs, considering how desperate it’d look to bring him coffee at work when they haven’t even been on their first date and feeling his mind come to a sudden halt as the heavy sounds of children clambering into the room fill up his ears, laughs and delighted yells echoing. 

“Hey, where’s Mr. Rogers?” a tinny voice asks curiously, catching Tony’s attention. Where’s Mr. Rogers? Surely if they were all in the classroom then Steve had to be-

“Mr. Rogers? Why’re you under your desk? Did you lose somethin’?” a sweet little laugh, and an awful squeak Tony knows is from Steve. 

Steve, who is apparently talking to Tony from underneath his desk. 

“I, um, I-I’ll call you later, goodbye, thank you, dinner’s gonna be looking forward to tonight!” Steve rushes, his horrified embarrassment so clear through the phone before he hangs up that Tony has to process the words with his forehead against the steering wheel, shaking with mirth. 

What a horrible, wicked _tease_ Steve Rogers is, charming Tony from top to bottom before he’s even had a chance to take him out on a date. 

“Pull yourself together, Tony,” he chides, slipping his phone back into his pocket with a sigh and turning the car off to make his way inside the house. “You’ll see him in a couple of hours and seduce the pants off him in no time. You’ve got the cutest kid in the world, man-this is nothing.” 

That doesn’t stop him from smiling to himself for quite some time afterwards, his eyes glancing towards the clock twice as much as normal. By the time 5 o’clock rolls around, he’s finished two projects, showered, had a very satisfying call with Pepper that he may or may not have used as a chance to showcase a few new suits, and is stepping into his car with Peter’s delighted cheers echoing in his ear. 

“Alright there, monkey, let’s say bye to your dad now,” Rhodey says, interrupting Peter’s excited ramble about their trip to the aquarium, “the popcorn’s gonna get cold.”

" _Yuck,_ ” Peter answers immediately, his nose no doubt scrunching up, and Tony tries not to laugh as he turns his attention back to his father with a mournful pout. 

“Go eat your popcorn and have fun with Uncle Rhodey,” Tony encourages as he turns into the restaurant parking lot, “you can tell me all about the sharks when you come home tomorrow.”

“Okaaay,” Peter draws out, smacking a big kiss through the receiver. “I love you, Daddy! Good early night!”

“Good early night,” Tony echoes, his heart a merry fire crackling away with affection. “Say bye to Uncle Rhodey for me too, kiddo.”

“I will! Bye-bye, Daddy!”

Checking the clock and seeing that he’s come thirty minutes ahead of time, Tony checks his cuffs once more before moving to stand by the front door, hands falling into his pockets while he waits for Steve to arrive. Sure enough, he’s only there for ten minutes before the smooth rumble of a motorcycle filters through the background noise behind him, his jaw falling loose as his date parks right in front of him with a gleaming Harley. 

Throat dry as Steve steps off his ride in a single, smooth movement that’s all sleek, built muscle, Tony blinks rapidly and catches the exact moment Steve sees him, his casual demeanor immediately softening into the gooey mess he knows Steve to be, skin flushing to the tips of his ears. 

Well, then, he thinks, not-so-subtly running his eyes over the damningly attractive blue button up and tight jeans Steve’s wearing, a man really _can_ have it all. 

“Tony! Hi,” Steve stumbles, Tony’s mouth snapping shut so he can shoot his most dazzling smile Steve’s way, a little surprised by how much more put together Steve seems now compared to before. “I, uh, I didn’t? Think you would be here yet? I’m-oh god, I’m not late, am I? I thought we were on for six? I hope we were on for six.”

Then again, perhaps not.

“You’re not late,” Tony agrees, his smile still in full-force as Steve moves his feet in an adorable shuffle. “I figured you were the type of person to come early, and I didn’t want to leave you all by your lonesome.”

“O-oh,” Steve stutters, a small smile making its way across his face as he looks up at Tony from underneath his lashes. “Thank you.”

Silently cursing modern dating etiquette as a wave of gold sparks washes over him, setting fire to his body from his chest to the tips of his fingers in an almost staggering moment of full, heavy desire, Tony simply lets his smile grow impossibly wider and opens the restaurant door for Steve, his head bowed. 

“After you,” he motions, Steve laughing a little self-consciously and walking in with a backwards glance that does nothing to quench the urge of white-hot _want_ welling up within Tony. 

How difficult it is, to meet the person you _know_ is going to be everything you ever want, and be unable to touch them. Somehow, he’s sure open heart surgery was easier than having to keep a hold of himself around Steve.

Steve, who is attractive and intelligent and kind and who’s been nothing but an absolute _godsend_ to Tony for all that he’s done for his son. 

“Table for Tony Stark,” he tells the hostess, who gives him a cordial smile and guides them to the corner table he requested, the mellow lighting letting their shadows stretch out beside them like a bird at sunset. 

“Wow,” Steve murmurs as he looks around with wide eyes, “this place is gorgeous.”

“The food’s even better,” Tony promises as they sit down, accepting the menus from their hostess and turning to Steve once more when he feels the solid stare focused on him. “Is there something on my face?”

“W-What? No, no, not at all,” Steve stammers, the tips of his ears returning to the lovely coral Tony so favors on him. “Just-”

“Just?” Tony prompts gently, leaning forward in interest. 

“You’re-very handsome,” Steve blurts, burning a hole into the menu before him and refusing to look up at Tony, his fingers white from pressure around the black leather cover.

Delight bubbling up inside his chest with in bright pops of effervescent color, Tony laughs, eyes twinkling in the low light. 

“I’m glad you think so,” he says merrily, “or this would be going the exact opposite of the way I want it too.”

Noticing the embarrassment crawling its way across the blond’s tense shoulders, Tony adds honestly, “You’re quite the handsome one yourself.”

Knee jerking underneath the table in surprise, Steve nearly drops his menu and fumbles with it desperately, his throat just barely strapping down the squeak Tony can hear him swallow. 

“Th-Thank you?” Steve tries, eyes still firmly avoiding Tony’s and his head dipping under view of the menu until he’s practically sliding down his chair to avoid being seen, his feet careful to avoid meeting underneath the table. 

On impulse, Tony asks, “Are you naturally this shy or am I just that handsome?” 

Grinning when that startles a laugh out of Steve from behind the black of the menu, he watches as Steve slowly peeks his head out of the menu and sets it on the table, fidgeting nervously and opening his mouth repeatedly in an attempt to answer Tony. 

“If I-if I tell you, you have to promise not to, um, laugh at me,” Steve begins, piquing Tony’s interest in a matter of seconds. 

“Cross my heart,” Tony swears, smiling gently at Steve and feeling his stomach warm as Steve returns it with a small quirk of his lips that only dials his curiosity up further. 

“I’ve kind of-well, I mean, I didn’t _know_ , but for a while now, I’ve, um, sorta had-a crush? On you? And then you came into class and you were so-so _handsome_ , god, and I’m still, erm, trying not to fall apart around you because you’re-you’re so _much_ ,” Steve babbles, picking at a corner of the menu with his nails and flushing even further, his cheeks so bright they might as well be aglow within shadows of their table. 

Both entranced and completely confused, Tony’s brows furrow in question when his mind catches up with Steve’s words. “I’m sorry?”

Groaning in despair, Steve leans in and lifts the menu to smack it against his forehead, the barest hint of blond hair available from beyond it. “Fuck, I’m a mess.”

Taking a deep breath and straightening himself, Steve meets Tony’s eyes with a blush high on his cheeks and shaking hands. 

“This is probably not the best way to start a date, but do you...remember going to the school open house a year ago?” Steve asks, wincing when his voice cracks but holding steady. “You, uh, you probably don’t, but, there was someone in the bathroom having a panic attack? And you, um, you sat down and talked them through it.”

“Yes,” Tony answers slowly, recalling the memory of sitting down with his back to a bathroom stall and talking about Peter and how scared he was for kindergarten while choked breaths slowed into smaller, labored hiccups, “in the staff bathroom, if I’m remembering this right. Why? I didn’t think anyone else was there when it happened.”

“No,” Steve agrees weakly, his smile wobbling as his eyes dart between Tony and the table, “just me.”

“Wait,” Tony’s eyes widen, his tongue feeling stupidly thick in his mouth as he realizes what Steve’s saying, “you were the one in the bathroom?”

“I sure was,” he confirms, running a sheepish hand through his hair and mussing it even further. “I was, um, kind of all over the place, you know, because I’d just come back from my last tour, and I was having all kinds of messed up things going through my head. It’s-teaching is amazing, and I-I _love_ it, but people kept telling me that I wasn’t ready for it, so I got lost up in my head with all the nerves. By the time it was halfway through and I’d seen a bunch of the parents, I’d gotten so far under that...well, I, uh, I lost myself. And then-and then there was you.”

Coming back to himself after his haze of memories disappears, Steve continues picking at the menu with his thumb. 

“It’s embarrassing, I know,” Steve says, avoiding Tony’s eyes, “to have a grown man whose fought wars to be afraid of teaching a bunch of kids-”

“No,” Tony shakes his head, reaching a hand out to cover Steve’s with a soft look, “not at all.”

Staring at the soft lines of his face with startled eyes, Steve cracks a genuine smile and flips his hand so that their palms are touching, his touch warm and dry. 

“Hearing you ramble about Peter and how you were scared if you were making the right choices in his life, with the daycare and the school and work, it-it made me feel better,” Steve confesses, “like it was _okay_ to work things out little by little, and that it wouldn’t matter if I made a mistake or two as long as I tried my best. Pretty silly, huh?”

“Not to me,” Tony replies, squeezing his hand and smiling back at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I’m glad I was there that night.”

“Me too,” Steve admits, squeezing back, the air between them sweet and peach-colored. 

Realizing a moment later that they’re just staring into each other’s eyes and holding hands, Steve coughs and flushes again, the words on his lips lost when their waitress appears by their table again with a notepad in hand. 

“Have you two gentlemen decided on what you’d like?” she asks, looking at them expectantly with bright eyes. 

“Uhhh,” Steve’s mouth works futilely as he glances at the menu and then the waitress in horror, Tony grinning at the panicked look he shoots him as she waits for an answer. 

“Do you have any food restrictions? Alcohol, no alcohol?” Tony asks him, “I don’t drink, but they have some very delicious sake if you’d like some.”

“I can eat anything,” he supplies desperately as if to make up for not having his order ready, and Tony chokes down a laugh to nod understandingly. “And I’m fine with water.”

“We’ll have the mixed gyoza and tempura for appetizers, the seasonal hot pot for me, and…”

Turning a critical eye to Steve, Tony grins. 

“-the surf and turf for him. We’ll be fine with the water here, Miss Gwen,” Tony finishes, holding out his menu for her as she writes their order down with quick fingers, Steve slumping in relief after she chirps a quick, “thank you!” and makes her way to the back with both their menus in hand. 

“Thank you,” Steve says sheepishly. “You’re very good at helping me get out of my own messes, huh?”

“I tend to be good at things like that,” Tony assures him with a wink, earning himself a short laugh. “I’m kind of an expert on being a walking mess.”

Raising a brow, Steve says, “Somehow, I don’t see that being right.”

“It’s true, I promise! This is 40 years of hard work right here,” Tony says, gesturing to himself with exaggeratedly wide eyes. “What, you think everyone is born this handsome and put together?"

“No, just you,” Steve says matter-of-factly, throwing him off. Staring at the curve of Steve’s smile into his pink cheeks and the mischief twinkling in his bright blues, Tony blinks twice, disarmed. 

“How do you do that?” he wonders aloud, causing Steve to look at him curiously. 

“Do what?”

“The thing where you open your mouth and say something that makes me want to kiss you,” Tony blurts out, still surprised. 

Flush darkening into an attractive red, Steve gapes at him before covering his face with his hands, making a weak noise into them that only has Tony feeling impossibly full with affectionate desire inside. 

“You….are making it very hard to be good at this,” Steve mumbles, peeking over the tips of his fingers and doing what on any other person would be called a pout. 

“Be good at what?” Tony asks with a low laugh, still taken in by the sight of him. 

“ _Dating_ ,” Steve replies forcefully, his eyes rolling upwards in a plea for strength as he lowers his hands to drink some water and relieve the heat in his face. “I’m not-you’re so- _ugh_. Could you go easy on me? I’m still trying to get used to all of you.”

“All of me?” Tony laughs louder. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I may have, uh, had a crush on you since you helped me last year, and, er, gotten one when we were emailing each other and Peter was talking to me about you, and also when you came to class I realized you’re _Tony Stark_ and you’re extremely attractive and smart so I’m kind of? Reeling that three people I was attracted to endedupbeingthesameperson,” Steve says too quickly, avoiding his eyes again and drinking more water to relieve himself of his embarrassment. 

Caught off guard, Tony finds his own cheeks coloring unflatteringly, not having expected that in the slightest. 

“You’ve...had a crush on me? Three times?” Tony asks out loud, just to be sure, and Steve groans quietly into his glass of water with a silent wish to disappear into the ground. 

“Maybe,” Steve replies unhelpfully, shifting in his seat. “Sorta? Kind of?....Yes?”

“Right,” Tony says, the bright waves of burbling joy in his chest cresting higher and higher with every second. “That’s….”

“Embarrassing? Weird? Creepy?” Steve throws out, sighing in weary acceptance and finally facing Tony only to stare at his red cheeks and wide eyes. 

“No,” Tony says, fingers trembling a little as he clears his throat and shakes his head. “None of those, just-”

“Just?” Steve echoes, riveted by the first signs of any calm lost on Tony’s side. 

“It’s-very flattering,” Tony stumbles, cursing himself for being so awkward and losing any suave charm he’d been planning on employing in full force. 

Expression brightening until his eyes are nearly stars themselves, Steve beams, Tony’s heart stuttering over itself alarmingly. 

“I’m glad,” he says with warmth, and it’s all Tony can do to smile helplessly back, his skin tingling at every inch with microscopic supernovas, the scenery at the corners of his eyes dyed in dazzling reds and pinks and oranges of every shade. 

“I take it I'm not doing as bad on this date as I think I am,” Steve laughs quietly, causing Tony’s hand to slide over the table and hold onto his, breath catching as blue eyes look up and meet Tony's.

“No,” Tony answers honestly, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles he’s tempted to brush a kiss against, “you're doing great. Best date I’ve ever had.” 

“Oh,” Steve whispers, his eyes shining in the light, and Tony has to look away from them to keep himself from doing something as stupid as leaning over and kissing the curve of his mouth right in that moment, cheeks hot. 

“I probably shouldn't admit this,” he confesses, clearing his throat, “but I'm a lot easier when it comes to you than you think I am.” 

“Keep saying things like that and I might just believe you,” Steve says, all bright smiles and messy hair, and Tony's heart fumbles dangerously once more. 

“I'll hold you to that,” he says, losing himself in Steve’s eyes, and it’s only when Steve ducks his head down after a moment to chuckle under his breath that he realizes they’ve been staring at each for moments on end. 

“So,” Steve prompts, cheeks still pink, “how’s Peter?”

“Good,” Tony answers, grinning to himself and threading their hands on the table to see the way Steve softens for him as easy as sugar. “He’s spending the weekend with my best friend since he’s on leave from the Air Force right now, and they’re having a grand old time without Daddy dearest just fine.”

“Your best friend’s in the Air Force, huh?” Steve asks, squeezing Tony’s hand back and smugly watching as Tony startles almost imperceptibly. 

“Yup,” Tony says, sighing in defeat and squeezing back with fond little vines creeping over his skin, bright lines of emotion written across his skin for all to see. “Can’t take him out of the air; he’s just one of those people born to fly, you know?”

“I know a guy like that,” Steve agrees, and Tony nods with shared experience, a brow quirking. 

“Army, right?” Tony asks, and Steve shrugs. 

“You can take the soldier out of the Army, but you can never take the Army out of a soldier,” Steve quips, earning a snort from his date as Tony laughs. 

“Alright there, sergeant,” Tony replies, laughing even harder when Steve’s nose wrinkles.

“Cute,” Steve says dryly like he isn’t smiling just as widely as their appetizers arrive, their hands falling loose for a moment when Gwen places their dishes in front of them just before Steve automatically tightens his hold once again, earning a surprised look from Tony. 

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Steve apologizes, unthreading his fingers from Tony’s with an awkward pull of hands. 

“No,” Tony says, crossing the distance and smiling as he grasps on tightly to the retreating hand. “I like it.”

“I-uh, good,” Steve clears his throat, shifting in his seat in embarrassment. “Me too.”

“If you can’t eat anything with that leftie of yours, feel free to let go,” Tony nods towards his hand, earning a mischievous grin from Steve. 

“I’d much rather you fed it to me, but that’s probably a little too much for a first date,” he laughs, his suave delivery ruined by the infinite pink clouding his face. “Perks of being ambidextrous is that I can hold your hand _and_ eat dinner.” 

_Goddamn_ , _he’s cute_ , Tony thinks, a little weak in the knees. 

“You’re ambidextrous?” Tony asks once he works through the damn butterflies, leaning closer to observe Steve’s left hand as he picks up a pair of chopsticks from their utensils and demonstrates by deftly picking up a gyoza without a problem. “Were you born with it or trained?”

“Born with it,” Steve admits, interest piqued when Tony gestures to himself and says, “Trained.”

“How long did it take for you to do that?” Steve asks, and Tony thinks for a moment as he chews on tempura.

“Maybe three years?” he guesses, swallowing. “It was pretty annoying to need both hands for work but only have one decent enough to do everything, so I tried a lot of different exercises and used it as often as I could for just about anything, and it ended up working.”

“Do you need both hands for work that often?” Steve wonders, the concepts of engineering unfamiliar to him outside of disassembling a gun or motorcycle. 

“Sometimes multiple things need to be done at the same time, especially with a few more complex kinds of experiments, and even a split second lag could mean screwing up,” Tony explains, completely unaware of his thumb brushing up and down the back of Steve’s hand as they eat, the heat in the back of Steve’s neck growing warmer by the second. 

“Wh-what kind of experiments do you do?” Steve stutters, desperately stuffing his mouth with tempura as Tony looks at him with a curious lift of his brow, ignoring his hot cheeks. 

“Whatever I want,” Tony says with a shrug, grinning when that earns a laugh from Steve. “Things I want to use for improvement, things I want to want to make, new designs, etc.” 

“Sounds like fun,” Steve says with a twinkle in his eye, admiring. “Doing what you love any way you want to, being your own boss.”

“The only con to the whole thing is the paperwork,” Tony confesses, earning a sympathetic laugh from Steve. “ _Two_ hands, and I still can’t finish the damned things fast enough.”

“Oh, buddy,” Steve chuckles, covering his mouth, “I, uh, I don’t think anyone can, two hands or not. I’m glad the paperwork doesn’t hold you back, though: your tech’s done a lot for people, and, well, I’m a big fan.”

“Oh?” Tony asks with a quick run down Steve again, intrigued. “I don’t see any on you, though?” 

“Not me,” Steve shakes his head, his flush slowly settling down as the conversation comes more and more easily. “My best friend was with me in the Army, and he wouldn’t be where he is today without the prosthetics you guys make.”

“I’m glad,” Tony whispers, smile soft in the light. “I know a lot of people in the military weren’t so happy with my decision to stop making weapons, but I wanted to do more for our soldiers to stay safe and healthy than give them big guns, you know?”

“I get it,” Steve says, running his thumb over Tony’s comfortingly. “I mean, I liked your guns a hell of a lot more than Hammer’s, but you’re doing a lot more for people like my best friend with what you’re doing now. The VA is a totally different place now, and I can’t stop hearing about it every time I visit.”

“Well,” Tony murmurs, his heart trembling with emotion, “thank you for single-handedly reminding me that my work does, in fact, help people.”

“Are you-what, are you kidding me?” Steve scoffs incredulously, leaning in closer to meet Tony’s eyes. “You should meet my friend Sam-he used to think you were a stupid one-percenter who did nothing but feed into a government that screwed us over, and now he gets to go to a VA where people he fought with get the benefits and help they need from _your_ money and tech. I’m pretty sure he kicked a guy out yesterday for saying your guns were better for our soldiers than the healthcare.”

“I’m guessing he’s a guy with some strong opinions,” Tony’s lips twitch, earning another laugh from Steve. 

“Oh, yeah,” Steve says, shaking his head with a grin. “He pretends he doesn’t right up until he says them out loud.”

“Aaaah, so he’s your Pepper,” Tony nods sagely, thinking of his own equivalent fondly. 

“Pepper?” Steve repeats, brows furrowing in confusion as he glances down at the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

“No, no,” Tony chokes on a laugh, waving his free hand in the air. “Pepper, she’s my CEO? She’s one of my best friends.”

“I-I thought your CEO’s name was Virginia Potts,” Steve’s face wrinkles unsurely, recalling the newspaper he saw just yesterday on Stark Industries. 

“It is, yeah, but I call her Pepper,” Tony explains, wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes as he chuckles to himself again. “It’s a long story…”

And while Tony tells it to Steve, he slowly lets himself get lost in the moment-in holding Steve’s hands, making him laugh, just enjoying the bright, warm feeling of being with someone whose company makes him so unfailingly _happy_. 

They eat dinner, and Steve wipes broth off Tony’s cheeks with a shy smile when Tony laughs too hard into his food, and Tony plays footsie under the table with Steve like he’s not a grown man just to see the flush he adores so much on those cheeks. They talk about Peter, Pepper, Steve’s friends Bucky and Sam, and find out they both know a certain lovely Russian.

“Hold on, Natasha Romanoff?” Tony interrupts Steve, snickering wildly with shaking shoulders. 

“You know Nat?” Steve asks, his mouth falling in surprise. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know Nat,” he replies with a gasp, “Oh god, I used to be terrified of her.”

“ _Used_ to be?” Steve splutters incredulously, and it sets them both off into laughter when Tony meets his gaze with tears in his eyes. 

“I can’t believe her stupid fiance is your best friend,” Tony shakes his head, wheezing for breath. 

“She’s never mentioned that she knows _Tony Stark_ ,” Steve sits, stunned, struggling to think of any conversation that might have mentioned Tony whatsoever. 

“We usually just watch ballet and cooking shows together,” he admits, sitting up straight again. “We used to work out at the same gym, though, and she was my assistant before for a while when she was still in white collar crimes.”

“I- _what_?” Steve is gaping, trying to wrap his head around this. “White collar crimes? When in the hell was this?” 

Bursting into laughter at the look on Steve’s face, Tony hugs his aching stomach and pleads for mercy. “Oh god, I’m cramping, Steve.”

“White collar crimes?” Steve is still mouthing to himself, lost in the shock, and Tony thinks this might just be the best night he’s ever had in his life as he tries to pull himself together. 

The day Peter was born doesn’t count, of course. 

“Well, Mr. Rogers, this was a great time,” Tony grins as they walk out the door to Steve’s motorcycle. “I’ve gotta admit, I’m a little sad to see the night end so soon.”

“Me too,” Steve grins back, his cheeks their tell-tale pink. “Tonight...tonight was amazing. Thank you, Tony.”

“Thank _you_ for being such a great date,” Tony says, caught in the shine of Steve’s hair and the stretch of his lips under the streetlights above them. “I don’t know how old-fashioned you are, but-”

Cut off by the press of lips against his, Tony’s mind goes blank for a solid three seconds before he catches up and kisses back, his hands cradling Steve’s face and feeling the warmth coming off his skin in the cool night. 

“Wow,” Tony rasps when Steve leans back nervously, his blue eyes boring into Tony. “Can’t say I was expecting that.” 

“W-was it bad?” Steve whispers, folding into himself as Tony blinks at him, dazed.

“Absolutely not,” Tony denies immediately, stepping in closer to loop his thumbs into Steve’s jeans, their faces scant centimeters apart. “I am hoping we can do it again, though.”

“I’m-I’m pretty okay with that,” Steve mumbles, pressing his forehead against Tony’s with a quirk to his lips. 

“Thank god, because I’ve wanted to do this all week,” Tony mutters before closing in for the kiss, Steve pressed up against him and their mouths warm as he finally lets himself go, sparks flying and fireworks erupting in a wash of pink and red, swallowing him whole. 

“Are we floating or is that just me?” Tony murmurs, his lips brushing Steve’s, and Steve lets out a shaky laugh, his hands trembling against Tony’s skin. 

“Nah, we’re floating,” Steve breathes, unable to keep himself from kissing Tony again, once, twice, three times, over and over again, heat settling into his spine and warming him from the inside out like liquid gold. 

Smiling into the kiss, Tony regretfully breaks himself away a moment later so he’s not tempted to do anything more than some light kissing in the parking lot. “Sorry, sweetheart, I gotta keep a lid on it for a little while more.”

“I’m okay without the lid,” Steve blurts, “lidless is fine, I don’t care.”

Breaking into laughter, Tony leans up and pecks Steve once more, smile bright and beautiful. “Not until the third date, honey-I’m going to spoil you rotten, just you wait.”

“I’m not really good at waiting,” Steve confesses, wilting before Tony and sighing. “Near had a heart attack just waiting for today, you know. I mean, the lid isn’t n-necessary, is it-”

“Wait,” Tony says firmly, giving in to the big blue eyes pleading with him and settling for a deeper kiss one last time. “If I have to wait, so do you.”

“I’m not being really attractive right now, am I,” Steve sighs again, sadly pulling his hands away and hunching his shoulders to hide his embarrassment. 

“I have never been more attracted to anyone in my life,” Tony answers truthfully, brushing a thumb over Steve’s hot cheeks with a smile that makes Steve’s knees feel like jelly. “But I want to do this right, and that doesn’t include me getting frisky with you in a parking lot on our first date.”

Steve almost suggests going to his place for the night, but he’s pretty sure he’s spontaneously combust if he ever actually said it out loud, so he gives up. 

“So,” Tony hums, “I’m guessing if I ask you out again, you’ll say yes?”

“Yeah,” Steve replies immediately, “yes, absolutely, no doubt, please ask me out again.”

 _Stop being so goddamn cute,_ Tony mourns to himself, reminding his hands to stay still. 

“T-The kids have a field trip on Tuesday,” Steve shifts around, biting his lip. “You could, maybe, um, come as a ch-chaperone…?”

“Done,” Tony agrees, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with joy. “I’ll see you Tuesday, handsome.”

“Right,” Steve nods rapidly, backing into his bike and fumbling for his helmet. “We’ll be there Tuesday. I mean, it’ll be nice to Tuesday-no, wait-”

“See you Tuesday, Steve,” Tony says fondly, handing him his helmet and leaving him with a peck on his cheek because he can’t help himself. “Can’t wait!”

“Right,” Steve repeats as he watches Tony walk away in a daze, “can’t wait.”

“Good date, sir?” JARVIS asks Tony when he enters the car and pulls his earpiece out again. 

“If you can’t tell, we’ll have to update your code,” Tony teases, watching Steve grin to his helmet in the rearview mirror. “JARVIS, be a dear and book me an appointment with Helen, would you?”

“Your levels seem perfectly within parameters, sir,” JARVIS replies, bringing up his charts for Tony to view. “If you are feeling ill, I can reach out to Doctor-”

“Just book me an appointment, would you,” Tony rolls his eyes, pulling out of the driveway and heading home with a lingering grin that stretches from ear-to-ear. “I’d like to be approved for action ahead of time, is all. And make sure to clear out my schedule for Tuesday: I’m chaperoning a field trip for Petey’s class.”

“...Understood, sir. Shall I order anything for Master Peter’s field trip to the space museum?”

“Hell yeah, JARVIS, bring up the list,” Tony whistles, plans whizzing through his head for the field trip as he highlights everything they’re taking with them.

Observing the itinerary, Tony figures he can sneak in some hand-holding and a nice kiss during the flight simulations, and he carries that thought with him to bed. 

Only three more days until Tuesday. 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not even gonna bOTHER TRYING TO EXPLAIN MYSELF........I FINISHED LIKE 80% A YEAR AGO AND COULD N O T FOR THE L I F E OF ME FIGURE OUT HOW TO END IT AND JUST SCRAPPED SOMETHING TOGETHER BECAUSE I HATED HAVING IT JUST SITTING IN MY DRAFTS,,, BUT!!!!! I FINALLY MADE A DECISION TO BE DONE WITH IT AND I'M G L A D bc i would have BROKEN MY HEAD trying to keep writing it i swear. 
> 
> i hope you guys like how the date went (many smile much happy very laugh!!!!), and sorry if there wasn't enough peter in here for some of you!! maybe i'll do some more fics in this verse later on about them being domestic or spending time with peter, but until then this is all i've got dsjfjksflsjlkgjfh and if you guys notice how much i talk about steve blushing....LEAVE ME ALONE IT WAS ALL I HAD DJKSLFJKDJFKSGJ
> 
> if i made any mistakes or you'd like to point something out to me in the comments, please do!! i forget to edit my pieces sometimes and most of these are written on my phone, so things always slip through and i'm happy to correct them later on :)


End file.
